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THOR Light Robot Technology Takes On 'Post-Antibiotic Apocalypse' Superbugs

With the country’s hospitals struggling in the grip of a superbug crisis that costs the NHS £1 billion per year, a recent study has revealed that a UK-developed UV light robot could spell the end of this catastrophe, saving up to 30,000 lives.

Superbugs have evolved during a ‘post-antibiotic apocalypse’ in which bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites have mutated to become untreatable. Cleaning a ward or operating theatre to the extent required to eradicate them has become almost impossible; traditional cleaning techniques kill just 50% of the bugs responsible for the Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) which cause 30,000 deaths and cost the NHS approximately £1 billion each year.

However, a new robot could change all this – the UK-developed and manufactured THOR UVC ®. The robot uses UV light to kill all known superbugs in minutes. A study of the robot’s efficacy concludes that, irrespective of cleaning time, THOR UVC® killed more than 99% of the MSSA bacteria exposed to it. This means that patients will no longer be at risk of catching an antibiotic-resistant infection while in hospital, and infections outside the hospital environment will reduce as bugs will be unable to spread.

Steve Bertuzzi, COO of Finsen Technologies, the company behind THOR UVC ®, says: “We’ve been working on new, updated UV-C technology for some time now, knowing that it is an incredibly effective means of killing most bugs. With this knowledge, we have designed something incredible – the THOR UVC® destroys almost 100% of bacteria in just minutes of use ,and has applications in hospitals and beyond. We are proud to be part of this revolution in infection control.”

UV-C light is a short-wavelength ultraviolet light, which works by disrupting the bugs’ DNA, rendering them useless. The method uses no chemicals, reaches floor to ceiling, and is suitable for even the smallest of spaces, meaning it can be used in areas such as ambulances. The technology has proven to be a success, eliminating culprits including C. Diff, MRSA, Ebola and Norovirus

Bob Darby, Director of Infection Prevention & Control at Circle Health who run hospitals, rehabilitation and NHS health services across the UK, says:

“As part of the IPC strategy Circle Health evaluated THOR UVC® performance in Operating Theatres and other clinical environments and we were extremely impressed with the results achieved. In my opinion, the use of UV-C can be a valuable aid in this as it can; when used correctly reduce bio-burden in difficult to contact areas and will not lead to increased resistance.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Peter Rodgers .